The 1945 attempt to stop Emperor Hirohito’s surrender recording was called the Kyūjō incident.
On the night of August 14–15, 1945, Japanese military officers opposed to surrender tried to seize the Imperial Palace and locate the recording. They hoped to prevent the broadcast and continue the war.
The plot failed because the conspirators could not find the recording and did not secure broad support from senior commanders. The recording was broadcast at noon on August 15, informing the Japanese public that the government had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.
The incident is also known as the Imperial Palace incident. It occurred during a tense transition between Japan’s political decision to surrender and the public announcement. The formal surrender document was still signed later, aboard USS Missouri on September 2.